


Useful

by Skullbubble



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Fluff, Gender-Neutral Apprentice (The Arcana), Horny Apprentice, Horny Julian, Making Out, Other, pretend doctor/patient, smol angst maybe?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28141638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skullbubble/pseuds/Skullbubble
Summary: In which the apprentice creates a distraction.Takes place during the Celebrity Gossip section of Julian’s Book IX.
Relationships: Apprentice/Julian Devorak, Julian Devorak/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 132





	Useful

“We can do this together, Julian. _ Please _ let me help you.” 

I am perched on a packing crate in a storage alcove off the Red Market, carefully cleaning blood off Julian’s face.Something’s been up with him since he stumbled out of the Jagged Dagger.Something aside from the head injury.

From my seat I can look him straight in the eye but he just scowls, not meeting my gaze. 

“You’re straining your magic muscles, and I’m just dead weight.I can’t stand it...”He looks defeated.

“I need to be useful.”

“Julian, you’re being useful just by being here.”

He is not convinced.

Improvising, I inhale deeply and give him my best reluctant sigh.

“Julian, I’ve been... I’ve been keeping something from you.”I don’t look at him, just bow my head and try to sound as unfortunate as possible.“I have a... condition.”I fiddle with the fabric in my lap, staring down at my hands.

“My darling, what is...?”There is a rising note of tension in his voice.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to worry you.”My voice sounds tiny and scared.

“Darling, what’s wrong?” He sounds like he’s fighting to keep himself together.

I finally meet Julian’s eye.His self pity has vanished, along with the little colour his cheeks had, and he looks on the edge of panic.I feel terrible for doing this to him.

I shyly pull my collar open, exposing throat, collarbone, the crook of my neck.

“Here.”I point to the area where my neck meets my shoulder.

Julian peers carefully at the place I’ve indicated.“I... I don’t see anything.”

“Look closer.” 

I can feel his breath, warm across my skin.

“It’s... it’s this whole area.” My voice shakes.“Julian, I can’t kiss it.If only there was a way you could...”

“Oh. _ Oh-...  _ Oh my dear that sounds very serious.”I can hear the relief in his voice as he realises that it actually isn’t.

I look pitifully up at him.“Doctor, is this something you can help with?”

Julian grins.“I believe I may be able to assist, my dear.”

He leans in, pressing the tiniest kiss to my skin and pulling away to examine the area.In again, another tiny peck, and another, another, each time pausing to investigate.For the love of battered sausages, I hope my stupid ruse works to get his mind out of this spiral of despair, at least for a while.

Julian hums in thought.“My darling, this is graver than I imagined.”His nose tickles my ear, voice dropping lower.“I will need to conduct a  _ thorough _ examination.”

I shiver as Julian goes back to his ministrations, kissing along my shoulder, slowly investigating every inch of exposed skin with his lips and his tongue.I stretch up, running my fingers through his hair and pulling him closer.Not pausing, Julian reaches for my arm and brings it back down.“Darling, you mustn’t distract me from my work.”The warm, gentle murmur of his voice goes right into my bones.With a soft creak of leather, he wraps one long hand around both of my wrists pinning them firmly behind me.

I am glad of the Nevermind Me spell.Even in the Red Market, the sight of a tall, pale man in a dark cloak gently sucking the side of my neck might be cause for comment, not to mention what people would say about the Countess’s Inquisitor  _ en deshabille  _ with a wanted criminal.

I swoon a little as Julian’s lips brush over the side of my throat, lingering in a particular spot.“Hmm, heart rate is elevated.”Working his way down inch by inch, kiss by kiss, leaving cool, moist trails, he reaches my collarbone, gently pulling the fabric aside with his free hand.

What have I done? 

I close my eyes and try to breathe like a normal person as I imagine Julian slowly, carefully undressing me right here under the shadow of his coat, unwrapping me like a present.

He moves lower, beginning a languid path down my chest.“Skin is flushed.Warmer than might be expected.”

My throat makes an undignified little noise when his mouth begins to drift upwards again.

“Hmmm, judging by your current symptoms...” His tongue is hot and firm across my collarbone as he works his way towards my other shoulder, “...this affliction is quite advanced.”Soft kisses up my throat, teeth on my earlobe.“I may need to administer several rounds of  _ rigorous _ treatment to bring it under control.”

The heat in my belly could start fires. 

Julian pulls back, releasing my wrists and gazing at me hungrily. 

“Oh, goodness, Doctor, you’re right... I do feel unusually warm.”I try to keep my voice steady.“Is it hot in here or... _is it just you_?”

Julian nibbles his lip in the most delicious way.

“I believe the malady may have spread, my dear.Now, are there any other areas you would like me to take a look at?”His eye rakes down my body. 

My face is hot and I feel a little light headed. 

“Doctor Devorak, are you trying to seduce me?”

“Hmmm, I wouldn’t dream of it.Why, is it working?”

“I’m conducting my own research into that but initial results are promising.” I give him a little wink.

“Research me all you want, my dear, I am your obedient servant.”

I grin, tugging on the front of his jacket to bring him closer.

Instead, it comes open with a series of little pops.Julian freezes and mumbles something.

“Julian... what?”

He blushes, red all the way to the tips of his ears.“It... erm... closes with snaps.”

“Oh.”I move my fingers to the next one.

Pop.

“Okay...” 

Pop. 

“That’s convenient.” 

Pop. 

I pull the last of the snaps open and watch the blush spread down his chest, a beautiful wave of colour, like Spring heading south.My hands creep under the jacket, under the shirt to touch warm, bare skin. 

Julian tries to look serious.“My darling, I’m afraid... your condition, the prognosis is... well, the good news is that it’s very, _very_ treatable.”

“That  _ is _ good news, Doctor.” I agree as I untuck his shirt.

“The bad news,” a quaver comes into his voice, “is that this is something you will live with for the rest of your life.But the outlook is good if you continue to... come to me... for...” 

He tails off, gazing dazedly at me as I wrap my legs around his hips and slowly pull him between my thighs. 

“But, Doctor, is there no way you could give me some relief _right now_?”I kiss his ear, running my fingers through his hair, brushing my nails up his spine.Julian shudders. “Please, Doctor, be as  rigorous as you need to be. I’m all yours.”

Julian is trembling.He presses his face into my shoulder, with a sigh. 

“ _If only_. .. If we were alone... the things I would do.”

“Is that a promise, Doctor, you’ll have me up on your table to give me an  _ exhaustive _ examination?”

Julian chuckles raggedly, voice shaking a little.“My darling, if you keep talking like that, I’m afraid going to disgrace myself right here.”

I hum against Julian’s ear.“We can’t have that.I think I’d much rather you disgrace  _ me  _ instead .”

He groans, biting his lip, then he kisses me - hot and slow and gentle, swallowing the soft, satisfied sounds I make as he hauls me against his chest, palms warm.One hand is bunched in his hair, the other brushing back and forth over the skin at his side. He makes the most exquisite noise when I suck his tongue, grinding against my thigh. 

I don’t think that’s a knife in his pocket. 

I pull back a little, whispering against his lips, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice. 

“I want you, Julian.” 

Kissing him again, I trail my fingers back over his hip, sliding down his stomach, following that beautiful trail of coarse hair to slip below the waistband. 

“No.”He pants heavily against me, voice hoarse as he takes my wrist, gently pulling the hand away.Brings it to his lips, kissing my fingers softly with a desperate look in his eye.“Not here.Once we’ve found this Scourge then, darling, I promise to take you away and you can have me.However, wherever, I will give you anything.All the relief you need.I will give you relief until you are begging for relief from the-... the- erm... relief.” His brow furrows.

“Julian, that doesn’t make sense.”

“No it doesn’t.I need to work on my improv, it sounded better in my head but, in my defence, I am a little... distracted.”He bites his lip, looking thoughtful.

“It’s okay, Julian.Once we’re out of this, you can ‘ _ Yes, and... _ ’ me all night long if you want to.”

His eye flutters.“I would very much like that.I can show you my full repertoire.”He gives me a feral grin, face still flushed.“I’m very versatile, I will endeavour to fill any role to your  _ full _ satisfaction.Use me however you want, I can be very flexible and I’m always looking for ways to improve my... technique.”He wiggles his eyebrows.Each word is enunciated in a way calculated to put butterflies in my stomach.   
All perfectly innocent, all absolutely filthy.

“Julian, do you kiss your sister with that mouth?”

He doesn’t answer, just chuckles, nuzzling into the side of my neck. 

We let the heat fade slowly, putting it away for later.

Julian sighs resignedly.“Well, on with the hunt, my dear?”

“One more minute.”

I work my hands through his hair, stroking, smoothing, running my fingers across his scalp. 

Long arms wrap around me and I lean into the embrace, warm and solid.I feel so safe, so blissfully relaxed and contented.One day, when I am very old, I think I would like to retire here, into Julian’s arms.It seems like the perfect place to spend forever.

Eventually, reluctantly, we separate.I help Julian tuck his shirt back in and give him a hand with his jacket after he fastens it wrong twice on a row because he’s gazing at me, not watching what he’s doing.Once everything is fully buttoned up and tucked away again, it’s still pretty obvious that  _ something _ has been going on but the Nevermind Me spell should stop anyone working out exactly what.

My legs feel a little wobbly so I hold onto Julian’s arm as he helps me down off the crate. 

“Darling, did you-... erm... did you... you didn’t mean those things that... did you...?”

“Julian, I meant every word of it.I want you.Not just like that, I want all of you.”The blush spreads back across his cheeks but I press on.“Even if I could never touch you again, I’d still want you.Julian, you’re precious and wonderful and ridiculous and I couldn’t do any of this without you.”I press a kiss to the back of his hand.“And I’m going to hold you to your promise.Once we have some time alone, I want you to show me what else you can do.”

I wink and Julian’s ears turn red as I lead him back out into the flow of people, still arm in arm, to continue the hunt for his innocence together.

**Author's Note:**

> I am going to make this man feel treasured whether he likes it or not.


End file.
